Last Call For Applicants to Indiewire’s Locarno Film Festival Critics Academy

Last Call For Applicants to Indiewire's Locarno Film Festival Critics Academy

We’re ten days away from the deadline for applications to Indiewire’s super-cool Critics Academy at the Locarno Film Festival. If you’re first hearing about it, two things: one, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!? and two, you should know that the program, produced in conjunction with the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Swiss Association of Film Journalists, will send six college-aged critics to Locarno. The festival will provide the housing; Indiewire will contribute a share of the travel expenses depending on the country of origin of the participant.

The six selected applicants will work with Indiewire chief film critic Eric Kohn and other journalists to cover the festival for a variety of publications including Pardo Live, the Film Society of Lincoln Center website, and this very blog. That’s right: your work will appear on Criticwire, and you’ll also be the recipient of many hectoring emails demanding more content supportive words of encouragement from yours truly. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Even in spite of my terrible jokes, the Critics Academy is an amazing opportunity to gain some on-the-ground experience at an international film festival and to make valuable real world contacts. If you want to apply here’s what you need:

3) Four writing samples about film. These can take the form of film reviews, scholarly papers, blog posts, college newspaper clips, or any other written work that you think demonstrates your writing skills.

4)A 500-word statement of intent. Tell us about your background and why you would make an ideal candidate for in the Critics Academy. Also note any particular interests you have as a critic (genres, national cinemas, etc.). Passion, strong writing skills and a deep knowledge of film history matter more than overall experience, so this is your chance to really make a case for yourself.

We’ve had a lot of people ask what exactly “college-age” means and whether they need to be in college to be eligible: “Ideally,” says Eric Kohn, “we’re looking for people who are currently enrolled in a bachelors or masters degree program, but other people who have recently completed such programs or are in early stages of their professional lives may apply as well.”

If you fit that description, then send your application by June 22, either as an attachment or in the body of an email, to SUMMERACADEMY@PARDO.CH — and if you have any additional questions, contact Eric Kohn at eric@indiewire.com. Good luck and I look forward to working with the winners. I was just kidding about the hectoring emails (mostly).